UCLA handles Stanford

Feb. 4, 2010

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

1 of 5

Stanford's Jarrett Mann, center, reaches for a loose ball against UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt, left, and James Keefe, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. DANNY MOLOSHOK, AP

1 of 5

Southern California's Marcus Johnson drives between UCLA's Malcolm Lee, left, and Nikola Dragovic during the first half of an NCAA basketball game in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. CHRISTINE COTTER, AP

1 of 5

Stanford's Landry Fields, right, scores while he is fouled by UCLA's Reeves Nelson, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. DANNY MOLOSHOK, AP

1 of 5

Stanford's Landry Fields, right, drives to the basket past UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt, left, as UCLA coach Ben Howland looks on from the rear during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. DANNY MOLOSHOK, AP

1 of 5

UCLA's Michael Roll, left, knocks a loose ball away from Stanford's Matei Daian, right, from Romania, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. DANNY MOLOSHOK, AP

Stanford's Jarrett Mann, center, reaches for a loose ball against UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt, left, and James Keefe, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. DANNY MOLOSHOK, AP

The victory pushed the Bruins into a four-team tie for first place in the Pac-10. UCLA is sharing space with Cal (which lost to USC), Arizona (which lost to Washington) and Arizona State (a winner over Washington State).

"That was a great hard-fought victory for our guys," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "The two most pleasing things about this win is that we only had five turnovers. We had 23 the last time we played them. And then we made our foul shots in the second half."

Stanford (4-6, 10-12) had a similar game plan as when the Cardinal beat UCLA last month. Jeremy Green scored a career-high 30 points in that game.

Though the Bruins were able to contain Green in Thursday's rematch – he finished with 18 points – they had trouble with Landry Fields.

Fields, a graduate from Los Alamitos, scored a career-high 35 points, going 13 of 18 from the field and 6 of 7 on free throws.

"Landry Fields is a load," Howland said of the conference's leading scorer. "I told everybody he was an NBA player going into the season."

Fields scored 16 against the Bruins in last month's game and had 15 by Thursday's intermission.

A couple of lapses by Fields in the second half might have provided the Bruins with the break they needed to take the victory.

Right after Dragovic scored on a 3-point basket to trim Stanford's lead to 60-59, Fields turned the ball over. The Bruins were then able to take the lead when Nelson sank two free throws.

Fields turned the ball over again, allowing the Bruins to take a 63-60 lead on a layup by Roll.

The Bruins opened up a 65-60 lead with 4:32 left in the game and hung on, despite watching the Cardinal get within one point on two occasions.

HELPING HAND

Jerime Anderson's return to action has paid off in a few areas.

In addition to burning up minutes that would have otherwise gone to overworked players like Roll, Malcolm Lee and Honeycutt, Anderson's return to the point guard position will give Lee more time to think about his shooting instead of his passing.

Lee and Mustafa Abdul-Hamid have been filling in at point guard while Anderson was out with a hip flexor.

Lee's points per game have been on a steady decline since he scored 29 at Notre Dame on Dec. 19.

He scored nine points in last Saturday's victory at Oregon State, and only two points in the overtime loss to Oregon two days earlier. He netted eight against Stanford on Thursday.

"When I'm at the point, I take less shots," Lee said. "I feel that my role is to set the pace of the game and get my teammates involved. Scoring is second. It's a pass first, shoot second mentality. That's kind of what I have at point guard."

With Anderson and Abdul-Hamid sharing point guard duties, Lee will get the chance to go back to doing what he does best. Though he prefers to score, nothing feels better than seeing the final score read in UCLA's favor.

"I'm used to scoring and stuff," he said. "(Playing point guard) is for the best of the team so I'm willing to do it. If it gets wins at the end of the game, I'm (for) whatever it takes to get Ws."

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.